It carries little inventory, restocking apparel and paper multiple times a day.

FORBES: Zazzle It

Threads of Time (446 W 6th St, 310-833-0568) has hard-to-find vintage apparel, while Cheap Vintage Inc has a huge inventory of bargain clothing and some notably racy mannequins in its window display.

BBC: The hidden treasures of seaside San Pedro

However, Reebok had hoped to add Mr. Tebow's name and number to its existing inventory of blank Jets jerseys and other apparel and sell them under a provision of those agreements that allows it to continue to market those items for a limited time frame.

WSJ: Nike, Reebok Settle Tebow Apparel Litigation

Nike, which will become the exclusive supplier of NFL jerseys to all of the league's 32 teams starting next month, says Reebok should be limited to selling what remains of its existing inventory of products, which would include Tebow apparel from his former team, the Denver Broncos, not new Jets products.

WSJ: Nike Sues Reebok Over Tebow Shirts

"They're starting to lay out stores differently, with better merchandise like private label food and more brand-name apparel, " says Dreher, who also stressed that a more decentralized approach to inventory management figures will help Wal-Mart do a better job stocking stores based on local tastes in each market.

FORBES: Discounters